Foam puzzle mats, a popular floor covering option used in many homes and daycares, have been found to contain dangerous chemicals, leading authorities in France and Belgium to pull the product from shelves, reports leSoleil.
The brightly-coloured interlocking pieces were found to contain formamide, a toxic and corrosive chemical used to soften the foam rubber of the mats. In its pure form, formamide is dangerous if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, causing irritation to the respiratory tract and affecting the central nervous system and possibly the reproductive system as well.
Last year, when concerns first arose, Belgium requested that manufacturers take measures to stop using formamide in the rubber mats. Recent laboratory tests, however, still indicate the presence of formamide, causing Belgium and France to halt sales of the product pending further investigation.
Concerns over a potential choking hazard led Health Canada to issue a recall of some foam mats in 2009, but the Canadian government has yet to follow the lead of France and Belgium in banning the sale of foam puzzle mats outright.